English Setter

The English Setter is a medium-size
breed of dog. It is part of the Setter family, which includes the red Irish
Setters, Irish Red and White Setters, and black-and-tan Gordon Setters. The
mainly white body coat is of medium length with long silky fringes on the back
of the legs, under the belly and on the tail. The coat features flecks of
colour, and the different colour varieties are referred to as belton.

A
gentle but at times strong-willed, mischievous gun dog, bred for a mix of
endurance and athleticism, it is used to hunt for game such as quail, pheasant,
and grouse. When working, the dog will hunt methodically seeking the airborne
scent of its prey. It is sometimes referred to as the Laverack or Llewellin
Setter as these were famous strains of the breed during the major development
period in the 19th century. Those from hunting stock are generally of a finer
build and with less coat than those bred for show exhibition.

Generally
reasonably healthy, they have an average life span of 11 to 12 years. The
Kennel Club advises UK breeders to screen for hip dysplasia.

Description

Appearance

The
English Setter is a medium-sized dog which should have an elegant overall
appearance. Its size can range from 24 inches (61 cm) for females up to 27
inches (69 cm) for males. The field or hunting type can be finer in build and
construction than those from bench or show lines.The breed was designed to hunt
game such as quail, pheasant, and grouse so should be able to cover a lot of
ground when seeking the airborne scent of the birds, carrying its head high.
The head should be slightly domed with a muzzle of good depth and show
chiselling under the eyes, which should be dark in colour with a kind, gentle
expression. The top of the ears (sometimes the ears are referred to as
"leathers") are positioned in line with the eyes and lie in an
elegant fold. It has a long muscular neck, well angled shoulders and a brisket
of good depth. The body is of a moderate length proportionate to its height and
it has strong powerful hindquarters. It carries its tail in line with its back
and the tail should be long enough to reach the hock.

The
main body coat is short to medium length, lies flat and has a silky texture.
Long silky coat – usually called "feathering", forms fringes on the
outside of the ears, neck, chest, down the back of the front legs, under the
belly and on the back legs. The tail is also feathered with long coat. The body
coat and feathering should be straight and flat but not profuse and never curly
although a slight wave can be seen.

The
bench or show type has a long, flowing coat that requires regular grooming. The
field or hunting type has a shorter coat that requires less grooming.

The
base colour of the coat is white with differing coloured ticking also called
flecks or speckling. The various speckled coat colours when occurring in
English Setters are referred to as belton; valid combinations are white with
black (blue belton), white with orange flecks (orange belton), white with
orange flecks and lighter nose (lemon belton), white with liver flecks (liver
belton), or "tricolour" which is blue or liver belton with tan
markings on the face, chest, and legs. The flecking should not form large
patches on the body and the flecks should be distributed all over the body. The
use of the word "belton" was first coined by Laverack, who developed
the breed in the 19th-century, to describe his ideal for flecking and is also
the name of a village in the extreme north of England. Puppies' coats may not
have all the markings that they have as adults.

Temperament

This
breed's standard temperament is best described as a "Gentleman by
Nature". However, it can also be strong-willed and mischievous, especially
if coming from working/field breeding lines.English Setters are energetic,
people-oriented dogs, that are well suited to families who can give them
attention and activity,or to working with a hunter, where they have a job to
do. They are active dogs that need plenty of exercise and up to two hours a day
of exercise is recommended.Inside they tend to be lower energy and love to be
couch potatoes and lap dogs; the breed is described as "intensely
friendly," "good natured," and "adores visitors and is
particularly happy with children."

They
rank 37th in Stanley Coren's The Intelligence of Dogs, being of above average
working/obedience intelligence. English Setters are very intelligent and can be
trained to perform about any task another breed can do, with the exception of
herding. However, they are not always easy to train, as their natural bird
instinct tends to distract them in outdoor environments.Their temperament is
considered to be gentle and as English Setters can be very sensitive to
criticism, positive reinforcement training methods using treats and praise work
best when undertaking basic training.

Health

Dogs,
both pedigree and cross breeds, can be affected with genetic problems. Those known to sometimes occur in English Setters can include congenital
deafness, which was reported as affecting 12.4 percent of the 701 English
Setters tested by the Louisiana State University in 2010. As at 2013, there has
not been any detailed research on this condition undertaken in the UK;
autoimmune thyroiditis, which was shown to affect 26.2 percent of 747 English
Setters examined between January 1974 until December 2012 in an Orthopedic Foundation
for Animals listing; canine hypothyroidism; elbow dysplasia; and allergies,
which can include some sensitivity to certain food ingredients and also skin
conditions, are known to occur.

In
2004, the UK Kennel Club established the Accredited Breeders Scheme, which was
later called the Assured Breeders Scheme (ABS). The scheme received UKAS
accreditation in April 2013. ABS members are required to adhere to
additional criteria than those necessary for basic KC registration. Among the
extra requirements is "Ensuring that the parents of each litter are readily
identifiable by either Microchip, Tattoo or DNA profile." As at March
2013, breeders of English Setters who are members of the ABS must screen for
hip dysplasia.

Some
members of the breed may be affected by cancer and this was identified as the
most common cause of death of English Setters in a survey undertaken by the
Kennel Club; the age of death from this disease was mainly after reaching ten
years of age. However, the survey had only received a small response rate.Life
expectancy is between 11 and 12 years, though 13 to 15 years is not uncommon.

Function

Setters
hunt by ranging over large distances in a systematic, methodical manner,
silently seeking game by scent. When prey is found by scenting the air, the dog
will freeze rather than give chase. The dog will stop in a sort of crouch or
"set" by freezing in a standing position upon finding their quarry
and this distinctive stance is how the term “setter” evolved. Once the dog has
indicated where the birds are by freezing on point, on command it would then
slowly creep forward to disturb the birds into flight. Once the birds were in
flight the hunter who had been following the dog would release hawks to capture
the birds in the air. When netting superseded the use of hawks, setting dogs
would still be used to indicate the whereabouts of the birds but the hunter
would come up behind the dog and throw a net over the birds. In the mid-1600s,
guns became more readily available and shooting game birds became a popular
pastime of the landed gentry. The basic work of setters was still to find and
point to the location of game birds but it also had to be steady to shot.

The
scent of game birds is airborne so to pick up this scent the setter carries its
head well up and should never follow foot scent. Most setters are born with a
natural proclivity to hunting. Dogs that show excitement and interest in birds
are described as being "birdy", and trainers look for puppies that
show this particular trait. Training is usually done with quail as a first choice
or domesticated pigeons.

Writing
in 1876, Arnold Burges described the "pure-blooded English Setter" as
"the best animal for American upland shooting" in his book The
American Kennel and Sporting Field.